


Scars

by KrastBannert



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/F, Finding a scar, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Insomnia, Late Night Conversations, Not exactly much comfort though, Pre-Relationship, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24798259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrastBannert/pseuds/KrastBannert
Summary: Jack accidentally learns something about Miranda, and she's not entirely sure what to do with it.
Relationships: Jack | Subject Zero & Miranda Lawson, Jack | Subject Zero/Miranda Lawson
Kudos: 35





	Scars

_"Scars are just a treasure map for pain you’ve buried too deep to remember.” – Jodi Picoult_

-[-]-

Jack knew.

The minute she saw them…she _knew_.

She’d never expected to find them, not on _her_ , of all people. Not on the woman who never had a single hair out of alignment, never a mark or blemish on her skin, never a smudge in her makeup. Weapons, armor, and clothing always clean and prepared. Never anything out of place.

She hadn’t intended to see them.

Jack hadn’t been able to sleep – 0204 Shipboard Time and still awake. She knew there was a stash of strong alcohol somewhere in the kitchenette, and sure enough, she’d found it: whiskey, and a _very_ fine brand. She’d been about to head back down to Engineering to drink herself silly and listen to the quiet whine of the drive core when she’d been stopped by a loud, sharp crack.

Nothing seemed out of place when she’d turned to look. Then she realized: the mug that had been sitting on the table in front of _that_ woman was now lying in pieces on the floor next to the wall of the medbay. And _she_ was shaking uncontrollably.

Jack had no idea why she stopped, why she went up to her. But she did. Jack just had a… _feeling_ : something was wrong. She set the whiskey aside, went around the table, analyzing the other woman. Her fists were clenched tight, her entire body wound up like a coil ready to spring. Instead of her ridiculous skinsuit she wore a loose, plain tee shirt and leggings.

Her face was completely free of makeup. She looked…more normal, plainer, without it. Still _annoyingly_ beautiful. And her hair was up.

And somehow that was probably the weirdest thing.

Jack had known Cheerleader for almost five months but had _never_ seen her with her hair up. Not even once. And as Jack got closer…without the hair and the makeup…suddenly she knew why.

It was as if a river was imprinted on the back of her neck. The paths traced a thousand lines, arcs branching in ten thousand directions. They were beautiful, in a way. Jack could tell they were old – they were faded, barely visible, but they were _there_. And she could tell that at one time, they had been very, very bad. Her hand moved of its own accord – her fingers gently brushed over the markings the shock collar had left behind…

Suddenly Lawson stiffened, whirled, pushed Jack’s hand away.

Her eyes – normally unreadable icy gunmetal – blazed with…fury, with rage, with…with terror? That was weird.

“J…Jack?” Lawson eventually stuttered between breaths, chest heaving. Her eyes were red, puffy, bloodshot. Jack wanted to make a sarcastic quip – but somehow, she couldn’t. She just…couldn’t. So she nodded. Lawson breathed in deeply, and slowly let it out.” I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lash out. You just surprised me.”

Jack huffed.” Thought you couldn’t get surprised.”

“Well, I _am_ still human. Genetic engineering doesn’t change that.”

 _Every_ time, Lawson had to bring that up.” Always gotta bring that up, don’t you? Just to rub it in people’s faces?”

Cheerleader looked up at her.” I’m…it was held over my head for so long. ‘You’re perfect’. ‘You’re better than all of the rest’. ‘You were made in my image, made to be the ultimate human’. I guess it just became reflex.” She looked down at the ground, shuffled her feet.” Well, I’m sure you want to be rid of me. I’ll just head back to my room.”

She squeezed past Jack, walked over to the door to her room. Jack watched her go. She opened her mouth, closed it again.

“Lawson.”

She turned, a confused look on her face.

“The…uh…your neck,” Jack stammered.” What…how…”

Miranda looked down at her feet. When she looked up at Jack, her eyes were filled with anger…and pain.” You’re the first person to have seen them in eleven years.”

“I…I had no idea…”

Miranda’s face twisted into disgust, into…shame.” We all have scars, Jack. Every single one of us. Even those of us who are _perfect_.”

She turned away and disappeared into her room. The door hissed shut behind her; Jack stared down at her hands.


End file.
